Fibrin glue is a tissue adhesive that is commonly used in many different medical procedures as a sealant, adhesive, biological carrier and/or hemostatic agent. For example, fibrin glues are used in cartilage repair and regeneration procedures, and in ophthalmic, cardiac and abdominal surgeries. Fibrin glue is formed from the mixing of at least two components, a fibrinogen component and a thrombin component.
There are several different methods for combining, dispensing and applying fibrin glue. For example, in one typical method, a double barreled syringe is used to combine and deliver the fibrinogen and thrombin components. The fibrinogen component is contained in one barrel of the syringe and the thrombin component is contained in the other barrel of the syringe. The fibrin glue is formed and applied by ejecting the components out of the barrels and combining them.
As part of their training, surgeons who perform procedures that involve the use of fibrin glues undergo simulated training in such procedures, including the delivery of fibrin glue. Because of the relatively high costs of fibrin glue (e.g., presently between five hundred to six hundred dollars for a single use), using actual fibrin glue in such simulated and training procedures can become quite costly, especially when the simulated procedure is repeated several times.